Nominations open for 2020 Delargey Awards

The NZ Catholic Bishops Conference is seeking nominations for the 2020 Delargey Awards, which recognise significant and outstanding contributions to Catholic youth ministry in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Begun in 2008, the biannual awards are named in honour of Cardinal Reginald Delargey (1914-79), a former Bishop of Auckland and Archbishop of Wellington who was noted for his work with young Catholics.

The awards aim to provide recognition for ministry workers and supporters of ministry with young people; to educate the community about ministry with young people; to raise the profile of Catholic ministry with young people; and recognise the place of long-term involvement in Catholic ministry with young people.  

Sponsored by the NZCBC,  the awards are given in various components of youth ministry, including Advocacy; Justice and Service; Catechesis; Leadership Development; Community Life; Pastoral Care; Evangelisation; Prayer and Worship.

“They are an opportunity to acknowledge those wonderful people in our parishes and dioceses who tirelessly give of themselves in so many different ways,” says Siobhan Dilly, NZCBC Executive Officer.

The 2018 Delargey Award recipients were Delphina Soti, St Vinnies Youth Programme Leader, Auckland, for Justice and Service; and Pesamino Tili, Religious Studies Director, St Peter Chanel School, Dunedin for decades of voluntary Youth Ministry in Dunedin and commitment to Dunedin Catholic Community Life.

Nominations close on January 17 2020, with the awards expected to be announced at the Takirua2020: Shaping the Mission conference in Wellington at Anzac weekend.
Full details and the nomination forms are available here.